Let’s start with photos from readers:
I love to see kids enjoying Oh, Susannah!
And a new puppy!
And here’s Keeper with his little twig he likes to play with!
This is what I’ve been doing that kept me so busy and so exhausted – cutting volunteer trees out of all the chain link fence around the pasture. Remember Rick can’t bend over or walk on uneven surfaces so it’s all me even though he’s nearby. Don’t you just love to be the one doing all the physical work while the other guy stands and watches? I hate it.
And then there’s our dog kennel – covered with a terribly invasive vine that grows inches overnight and if it continues to grow on the chain link it will literally pull it down. Of course after all those volunteer trees are cut out of the fence they have to be hauled to the brush pile.
There’s also iron weed in there, too, and my arms are covered with a red rash just from pulling them out and cutting the vines. Volunteer trees need a small handheld trimmer saw and I’m not sure how to stay on top of the problem other than cutting on a regular basis. The chain link fence was very expensive however and worth taking care of.
I’ve also been using my trusty little sprayer trying to kill the weeds in the parking area. By August I forget how bad the weeds are.
I also had several appointments today and the power went out in our whole area leaving every business pretty much closed until the lights came back on again. What a waste of time!
So tonite I’m sitting in the porch after a delicious supper of Kwik Star chicken tenders that Rick went to town and got after I said I just couldn’t stand to make supper.
And once again – thanks for reading the blog about nothing.
I love the Lisa Halloween quilt. I have used that fabric too, and it is a much used quilt of my grandson! Such fun!
Weeds, volunteer trees where we don’t want them, and VINES…. All so out of control here! I care for my 100 1/2 yr old mom. She likes my company, so we cook, can tomatoes, fall asleep during the news. LOL Mary you accomplish so much every day! And I just KNEW today would be a porch day, ahead of the forecast of heat, humidity, and smoke. I started Citrus Splash, a pattern of yours. Hope to focus during the heat keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing your day, the pets, and reader inspiration!
I always LOVE your wonderful words and pictures! Your blog is about EVERYTHING!
Which makes it delightful!!! Keep it up, just the way it is!!!!!😊❤️
Kathy – how are you? One of these days I’m coming to Rochester! How’s that sweet little Penny?
Weeds! I don’t know exactly what it is, but last fall we had these very thin ‘seeds’ all over everything. They look simular to pine needles, but aren’t. We’ve had the elm trees forever, but this is a different variety, another kind of tree. After it rains, I’ve been pulling them for about 5 minutes at a time. Don’t want to push a good thing? The ground has to be wet or they just break off.
Monday I went to check out the Love store. That is where my pots, pans, etc will go. And guess what. It is a small world. A man who works there was leaving on vacation to Ankeny where his brother lives. And then to Clarion where his parents have moved for their retirement!!! It is a nice place to live.
Oh, my friend who lives in Huxley was out for a drive and took a picture of the house where we lived. It is painted BRIGHT green with a black roof! It was white with a light gray roof when we were there.
Now it’s time to put stuff away, get ready for company and quilt when I need a break.
Take care. Betty in Rapid City
Betty – oh, Betty, I always love to hear from you!
Love, love, love those chicken tenders from Kwik Trip!!
Hate having to pull weeds, tho’!!!
Hope you’re not using “Round Up” on those weeds or invasive plants.
Couldn’t you advertise locally to hire some help? Can’t believe there isn’t someone available and who would need the work A group in your church maybe? You need help ,dear one.
Hi Mary,
Have you heard about protective sleeves from Farmers Defense? They would protect your arms while out working in the yard.
Great pet pics, I enjoy seeing them, thanks for sharing🐶🐱🐶🐱🐈🐈⬛🐕🦺🦮
I totally sympathize with the endless war on weeds and “trash” trees. AND your rash. I am in the process of reclaiming our back couple of acres from overgrown trees, volunteer trees, berry brambles, and two tons of poison ivy. Every so often I have to take time out to battle the horribly itchy rash from poison ivy. We are also once again under a burn ban, so no point in cutting down anything else until I can burn it. The ironic thing is all this use to be cotton fields that we planted with oak and pine trees when we built our house thirty-two years ago. We pretty much left most of it untouched for that long and it became a forest!
Paula – and I love that overgrown forest look! I do not want my grove trimmed, mowed or cut down and Rick would like to any chance he gets. But these vines on my expensive fence! No way – it has to go! Why are you clearing those acres? Will you mow it as lawn?
Please be very careful burning poison ivy – you can get its smoke in your lungs and have a poison ivy reaction there. My grandfather discovered he was allergic to poison ivy smoke when he was in his 60s, after farming all his life and never having had it from direct contact.
I was concerned also when she wrote about burning. Seems risky in the best of cirumstances.
We are very careful to only burn poison ivy when the wind is away from our house. We light the fire and stay indoors until it is burned down. Of course we’re not burning anything at all right now. Don’t want to be the cause of a wildfire. There is no surface water anywhere around us, and everything is crunchy dry.
No mowing. And just cutting out old huisache, dead stuff, trees growing too close together, and poison ivy. We just want to be able to walk back there and enjoy the shade. My son in law is helping me clear paths winding around through the trees. Their Corgi and two and a half year old daughter love to go back there.
Weeds – who needs ‘em? I couldn’t keep up with the garden and areas of the yard so the blackberries and Morning Glories have taken over. What a mess! The only thing I have kept up on is watering and mowing. When it cools down I’ll weed.
Love the photos today.
Thanks for sharing, Mary.
The high temp today where I live in the Pacific Northwest was 93. I have no AC so the inside of my house was almost that hot at 91. 🥵 It’s been a few miserable days here, but not nearly as hot as Eastern Washington. I went to the grocery store today and they gave everyone a bottle of cold water. Nice! Supposed to start cooling down here tomorrow.
Take care everyone.
Sharon – you probably haven’t needed AC much in the past but this year is different. I don’t know how you can do anything inside or out in those temps. Do you want a small AC unit?
Sharon,
I live southwest of Houston, Texas. Today is the 18th and the real temp at 5:30pm is 104. No mowing here! Trying to keep the grass roots from burning under the crunchy dead grass.
Mary…You sound grumpy and tired and I don’t blame you one single bit. Too much hard physical work for any woman, especially one your age. I am getting grumpy about cooking three meals a day. Even though we go out for lunch sometimes and even dinner once in a while, I Still get so d___ tired of it all. And, then stick in hard yard work!! NO, just no. (Sorry about the rant.) You hit a nerve.
Those little boys and the puppy! Just adorable. All the photos are great. Love Keepers little stick. HaHa
Sue – I’m right there with you. I’m fed up with lots of things – there’s no way I could cook 3 meals a day. No way. I hate cooking and Rick is very good about making his own breakfast and doesn’t eat lunch so I have nothing to complain about. I’m just tired.
I have the grands here every day and mom lives with us. # meals a day, plus snacks, drinks, band aids and hugs. Somedays I hate it, others I love it. If I ever win the lottery, I’m hiring a COOK!!
Diana – and I don’t know how YOU do all of that! Your grocery bill must be out of sight.
Rant continues! Amen to being sick and tired of cooking! And no, I don’t have to do breakfast, but it seems lunch sneaks up on me every day and if I don’t fix something relatively healthy, DH is in the cookie jar and that means I have to bake, too…which I don’t mind as much as fixing meals. I limit myself to a handful of weeds at a time so you know what our plantings look like and DH just reminded me about the three volunteer maple trees (I thought there was only one) growing up against the side of the garage that I can’t see from the kitchen. I’d better grab the big clippers and head out there while I’m thinking about it. Thanks for listening. Oh, and it’s Quick Trip rotisserie chicken for us when it’s the Monday special! One more thing– DH laughed at Keeper’s “twig.” Thanks for the chuckle. We needed that. End of rant.
Kris – I love rants and I’m always glad it’s not just me! That’s why I love these readers – I feel like most of us are in similar boats! Ha!
Hi Mary, l agree, you are working far too hard!There must be someone locally looking for work, perhaps the pastors son has a couple of mates who can help. Love the puppy and 2 black cats! Next week l will be in Brisbane and will send photos of my brothers dog.Sorry it’s so hot for you, lcant cope in the heat. Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – it’s not hot here! In fact I’m sitting in the porch with a throw over my lap right now.
Mary, you sound so tired – and no wonder. You and I are about the same age and there’s no way I could do all that you do! You’re truly an inspiration. Loved the photos today. Seeing the dogs and cats always bring a smile🙂 and seems to improve the day. Thanks!
Montana Kathy – my goal is not to be an inspiration to anyone. My goal is to live here until I die and you’ve heard that old saying Use It or Lose It? I subscribe to that theory 100 percent! Haha!
It’s 11:45pm and the rooster down the road is calling up the sunrise. Or maybe he is warning the chickens if a bear. We have had bear paw marks this week ! Our power was out today from 9am-3pm. Fortunately the 100 degree temps don’t start again until next week!!! In Arkansas I despise the summer, the ticks, the chiggers, the sweat, the fire ants, the heat exhaustion, the melanoma I’ve dealt with being half German and 1/4 Norwegian (from Sioux Rapids). I am beginning my 5th or 6th Jane Austen quilt using Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice collections. I haven’t been sewing at all since November. So it’s nice to start cutting and envisioning again. So Mary, I guess the way you store your quilts (like the fair quilts) is to roll them up and tie on both ends. Any other secret? Where do they go next? Closet, under the bed? I have so many and no place to store them but on the spare bed. Also death cleaning. 15 sewing machines to find homes. My kids will just drop them at Goodwill. So if you are interested in a Bernina 830 complete, Bernina 180, low hours complete with pdf manual, Bernina 1020 complete, retstored with LED lighting by acclaimed professional, Fristman Rossman Cub 3, Singer slant 404, 403, beige 301, Necchi Leila has parts needs repair. Just drop a note. Pray for Maui. I immediately began to think of the honeymooners choosing Maui. 🙏 chapter ???? To the blog about nothing!!!
Cheryl – the only one I roll up over a pipe is the farm quilt that has a million little pieces that are fused. I have several storeroom under the eaves of the house which all have quilts in them but remember I have both quilt shop buildings, too. In the haymow I have a huge tin lined plywood box that I can safely store quilts in. When I used to hang quilts there for the summer I stored them in that huge box. So space is not any problem for me – hauling them up and down steps is the problem.
I have too many machines myself but maybe some reader will see your list. So many of my nice things will likely end up at Goodwill or the landfill so when someone comes to my house I ask them what they’d like and I put their name on it. If I decide I don’t want/need it I’ll give it to them now. I gave up death cleaning and decided to enjoy all my stuff as long as possible. I also wrote a detailed trust that will sell my things when I’m gone. I’ll hate knowing everything went to the landfill but I guess it’s possible.
I know what you’re going through! We put 48 YARDS of rock in our front & back yards (not one blade of grass left) and raised planters, etc. Still manage to get the occasional weed (on TOP of the weedblock fabric). Hubby has a large container of concentrated poison that he adds some to a sprayer like yours with water and sprays every weed he can find every 2-3 weeks. Makes it much easier for us as those die out quickly. Your yard looks like it needs spraying every couple of weeks for a while till everything is dead around the fences. I’d probably do double strength for the superweeds! I can’t imagine trying to keep up with everything like you do and I’m 67 – it tires me out just READING what you’ve been up to!
all this out of sorts is what my grandmother attributed to august dog days. Due to gardening, canning jam and jelly making hay making yard work and heat. Sound familiar ?? Hope you get some rest and follow your friends suggestion to get some assistance.
Brendalynne – as good an excuse as any! Too much to do and I just want to sit on the porch and read.
I also have one of those hand pumped sprayers. Cut them low and spray with weed killer. You know there comes a time to 1. hire someone to do it 2. Put the place for sale for a small plot. Unfortunately, we all grow old. It used to take me 2 1/2 hours to clean my house, now 2 1/2 days..not kidding. Please don’t injure yourself, I is not worth it. Take care!
Mary, You’re not too fussy wanting your property to look nice. If you don’t keep after the weeds, they will take over. My son has a sprayer on wheels for his large driveway which works great. You might even be able to find one you could pull with the golf cart – winner. It is a shame you can’t hire someone to come monthly and do the extra heavy work.
Keepers ‘twig’ is about the right size for him.
Hi Mary
I love the picture of the two cats and also Keeper. He’s such a gorgeous dog and so blessed to have you for his dog mom!
Thankyou so much for your blog brings me joy always!
God bless you and Rick❤️
Bea – always nice to see a comment from you as it brings back memories of your Christmas picture of the four dogs!
I love reading your blog. Whether it be about quilting, gardening or sharing the accomplishments of other readers, I enjoy every story or photo.
I am taking a copy of OH Susannah to a friend in Minnesota that raises goats. She will really enjoy the book.
Jane – thank you for getting Oh, Susannah! out there. I’m working on getting an ISBN number so I can put the book on Amazon.
Mary,
Oh, such hard work! Keeping up with a large property is a constant work load, isn’t it?
It was nice to see our grandpuppy, Finn, in the blog! He’s so cute! Our grands cat disappeared, leaving them heartbroken. When Dad and Mom surprised them with a puppy, our 12-year-old granddaughter was so happy she cried. (Don’t tell her I told you). This is their first summer home with Mom as she has a new job working from home. So I’m sure Finn keeps them busy!
That’s quite a Halloween quilt!!
Take care, Mary, and don’t work too hard! Easy to say, not so easy to do!
Marsha – Finn is just a doll!
Loved seeing all the pictures and hello Rita!! So glad you had an Uber driver (good ole Rick) go pick up dinner cause I would be too exhausted to think of anything but sitting down for the night after all you did. Weeds drive me crazy too and I have some sweet pea type heavy vine that continues to pop up everywhere around me that it takes over. We often comment on our drives how we can’t see this or that anymore from the road cause brush, trees, ornamental grass and volunteer bushes just keep spreading. I think of you every time I look down and see tiny maple trees sprouting in my flower beds and yank them out.
Kathy – I’m also slowly working on my rock pile so I can move some into my front rock garden keeping those volunteer maple trees under control. It’s overwhelming.
Good morning Mary, Have you heard of a String Mower? It’s a small lawnmower/weed wacker. My son uses his often. Check it out.
Debby from Wisconsin
Oh, Mary, sorry about all that work on your shoulders! I believe you can run circles around me! We had a guy out to do forestry mulching for the back half acre. Previous owners did nothing and it was so overgrown. Still left a lot of trees we wanted but others too big for his machine. Today we are having tree removal guys out for several dead trees and sweet gums. Don’t want to spend the money but it needs to be done. Some are too close to neighbors fences. 😔 love the black kitties and dogs, Keeper is precious! Our temperatures are going higher and just don’t feel like doing much and especially not cooking!🤣 Penny and Lucy send hugs 😻
Pamela – and I am aware of what tree removal costs!! I also have a large limb hanging over my roof which should be removed.
Try using the poison ivy/oak, woody plant killer. Mix up in your sprayer and just spray heavily on your fence. I have used this and its works. has killed and never comes back. Worth a try, better on our back! Get at your local farm store, etc. Will be with the weed killer section.
Mary, you see old homesteads overgrown with vines and trees in the countryside and know what a job it is to keep them at bay. I’m in Texas and need to cut out a bunch of volunteer trees in my flower beds but I’ll wait for cooler weather. I did cut some in spring but obviously missed some!!
Rosalie,
Maybe you didn’t miss them. Our Texas birds are always so helpful about spreading tree seeds! Seems as soon as I pull some up, more grow.
Mary never worry… your blog is about everyone. Love yourself… we luv you.
Great minds think alike – we had Kwik Star chicken last night, too!
I was exhausted yesterday. Early Wed morning, my big beautiful Poppy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. He’s been feeling poorly for a few weeks, I chalked it up to hot weather. On Friday he had a seizure and off to the vet we went. Labwork indicted his glucose levels were very low. He was fine at the vets office, so brought him home with directions to give him a teeny bit of Karo syrup and let him eat as much as he wants.
Fast forward through a long weekend of lethargy, no eating and no litterbox activity, the vet and I decided to let him go on Weds morning. He never made that appointment. He died in my arms about 3am.
I share all this as the vet called with lab results from Friday. He had what they called insulinoma. His pancreas has tumors that were malignant and nothing could have been done. She said very rare in cats, but it was nothing I did.
So please hug your fur babies extra hard for me today in honor of Poppy. We are still grieving, but I know he’s out of pain, and frollicking with my Siamese cats that preceded him.
Thanks for listening. I KNOW you understand. We are down to one cat, and will stay that way as this is too hard on this old gal.
Diana – I looked at my email first so saw Poppy’s picture before I knew he was gone. I am so sorry and yes, I know firsthand how hard this is. Won’t your other cat be lonely? I swore I wouldn’t have more cats but then Gracie needed me and as happens Gracie needed Greta.
Pepper will be fine. They were not close and slept on opposite corners of the bed. She was looking for him, but is now blissfully sleeping on mom’s bed without Poppy taking up her space. lol
I live very close to the local shelter and they always call me if Siamese cats come in. All my kiddos have come from there, so I’m sure we won’t be long without another cat (regardless of what I SAY)
I’m way too softhearted to leave a cat at the shelter.
Diana – well, I do understand – I’m afraid my young cats and dogs could outlive me and then who will take them in? I’d rather they all be euthanized than sent to the shelter here.
Diana – I forgot to say I have also never heard of pancreatic cancer in cats but I tend not to have them posted after they die because I always think what’s the use? I always try to think of my animals who are gone to be in Heaven meeting up with their old pals. My deepest sympathy, Diana, to you and your family.
Oh, am so sorry! I started crying again yesterday just thinking about the day my Emily passed. I cried till I couldn’t cry anymore. It’s been almost 6 months and we’ve had our Penny and Lucy almost 4 months now. They have sure helped so much. Hang in there, I know it’s terribly heartbreaking 💔.
Bless your heart! None of us know how you do it. I couldn’t. Thanks for the pics. So cute. Rest, that’s an order!
Mary
Donny is just as fussy about weeds in the gravel,he’s always spraying them. The one weed area he takes care of thank goodness .
Kay – I don’t like those weeds in the gravel! And I’ll bet your stomach just turns when you drive by Marge’s house. She was always my benchmark about when I should be mowing. If Marge mowed I should mow!
Mary I could really relate to the driveway weeds – we have a huge gravel parking area and it is hard to keep them down. Also, regarding the invasive vine, I have read that one can cut it down, leaving a stem of several inches. The stem can them be put in a small bottle or jar with Roundup in it. The theory is that the stem will carry the Roundup to the root. I haven’t tried it as I don’t have that issue here but it sounds good. Don’t comment as often as I should but I so enjoy the blog and will try to do better. Blessings to you!
Bonnie – and thank you for your comment – I appreciate all of them more than you know.
I can relate to everything you said except…the husband going to pick up supper!!!
I especially like it when the observer tell the worker what they’re doing wrong.
That Halloween quilt is fantastic, and the pets are precious. Loki would dig in the cut down trees and find the perfect one to haul off. He was our “branch manager”.
We had record high and low this week. Summertime in Wyoming.
Loretta is at the spa, getting a mullet and her teeth brushed. The window installer is scheduled for this morning. The last of the hail storm 3 years ago.
Jo – I wanted to say that exact thing – that the observer has so much advice but thought better of it. Ha! Rick is always willing to get a takeout meal, thank goodness. I hate the hours between 4 and 7 when everybody on the farm is waiting to eat.
Dear Mary, I’d be afraid to use some of those sprays. Your pets roam all over your farm and I would be afraid they could be very toxic to them. Even chewing on a stick that has spray on it could be disasterous to dear Hazel or Keeper. It seems every area in the USA has noxious weeds growing. How well I remember the next door neighbor’s yard back in Iowa. . There wasn’t much grass. It was mostly creeping Charlie and when they finally mowed it, the smell of it used to literally make me nauseous. Now that I’m in Colo., we have a very invasive vining ivy that will wrap around anything and literally choke the life out of flowers.. But, at least it doesn’t have any smell and even though it’s persistent. It is easy to pull. Take care in this heat everyone, especially you, Mary. You are one amazing woman to accomplish all that you do every day and still keep up this wonderful blog that we all love. Bless you. Jeanne in Co.
So sorry for the loss of Diane’s Poppy. Her story of the weekend of watching her getting sicker and weaker reminded me of the weekend that I lost my little poodle, Lucky. That feeling is something I will never forget. It has been a little over six months now and I miss her so much. Your photos of your animals and readers animals mean so much to me, as my physical condition and age make me too weak to care for any more pets. I agonize over that realization. Thanks so much for sharing yours with us. I am so glad that you can still do all the hard physical work that you do. You are right about use it or lose it. I totally agree with the one reader who said that it takes her 2 1/2 days to do what used to take 2 1/2 hours. I literally work on something for 5 minutes and then sit down and rest for how ever long it takes to recover. Some days are better than others, so there is that. May we all have more “better” days!
Mary, After I posted you about a tow-behind sprayer, I talked to my son. His unit holds 15 gallons but I’m sure they come in all sizes and are available at the farm supply store. They work with anything that has a little trailer hitch (most riding lawn mowers or maybe a golf cart) and battery. They have little alligator clips that you attach to your battery so you don’t have to pump anything up. You just drive around and spray with a wand. How’s that for easy? If you’re lucky, you would be able to spray right along your fence to save your back.
The weather here in southern Minnesota is beautiful – for now.
Janet – we have one but to spray carefully you can’t sit and aim with the wand. Rick killed all my grass by the fence doing that. You need to stand up straight and spray down. I can’t trust him to spray the gravel. Spray travels and he’s killed a lot of grass around here.
This post was not about nothing. It was about the frustrating aspect of yard care, (one son has been learning how to do controlled burns against invasived with good results)invasive, and the comments have been very much about the sorrow of losing pets. I’m down to 2 cats. The elderly Mama still gets around and her daughter is doing ok, but has been pulling my mom’s afghan off the stool and peeing on it. On the carpet. I’m at my wits end as to why. She sits on that very afghan on my mom’s lap all the time! Why she targets it is beyond understanding. Rant over.
Have the cat checked for the bladder infection? It makes it very painful for them to pee, especially male cats. When I would be on the pot, my cat would come in, hop into the bathtub, squat over the drain and leave a bit of bloody urine. She was showing me she needed help and off we’d go to the vet.
My mom had a male cat who was getting older. It was so bad the vet said he should be put to sleep. Mom left the cat, but she was so mad about it and was ready to shoot the vet. A week later, the vet called her. He’d done an autopsy on the cat. The cat’s bladder was so full of scar tissue from the infection crystals, he was shocked the cat has managed to survive that long. Good news, the vet lived, too.
Betty in Rapid City
Betty – that’s what Ernie Jo Mauer’s problem was and I had him put down rather than let him suffer. And I refused to let them do surgery.
Correct diagnosis Betty! And, I love your comment about the Vet living😹
Carla – take her to the vet – she might have a urinary or bladder infection?
Hi Carla – we had a cat that started doing something similar. We took her to the vet and it turned out she had a urinary tract infection. The vet told us that using the litter box becomes painful so they will pick someplace else to go to the bathroom.
Bless you Mary. I can identify with so much you’ve said because of living on our 2+ acres for 47 yrs. We’re the same age except my hubby is 9yrs my senior. He’s had a few health issues and this year 2 strokes. I know exactly what you mean with someone watching you do the work…….and I have someone telling me how I should be doing it. Ahhh!! We are in the process of moving to a home on a small lot. I had a full hip replacement 5 weeks ago and still painted the entire inside of our future home 7 feet up. Our son did the cut in work at the ceiling and the top rolling. Hubby can no longer drive and following through on anything is a big challenge. All a result of strokes. It’s extremely hard to leave our farm but it’s a must. Hiring outside work on large acreage gets very costly. I’ll continue to cheer you on at your place. God bless you.
Patty – I’ve been here on about 10 acres since 1979 and I just refuse to go to town. I might have to change my mind someday but not yet. Help is hard to find and years ago I knew I had to eliminate anything that required me to bend over to weed. My back just can’t take it so I mow everything I can. Rick isn’t very able anymore so I do as much as I can on my own. Women can carry on where men can’t even get started.
“Women can carry on where men can’t even get started.”
Oh, Mary, that belongs on a t-shirt!
Hi Mary. We also have a large gravel area in front of our house. We use a product called Noxall. It’s a granular product that you broadcast and it lasts about six to eight months. It’s kind of expensive but well worth it in my estimation. We get it from our local farm store. I’ll email a picture of it to you.
My sisters dog used to carry a log around. It wears their teeth down. It was his security log.
When I had my back surgery I got a long break from cooking, cleaning, dishes, and laundry. It was heaven. My husband still helps with laundry and cooking as he’s retired now too. I am the one who does the watching while hubby works. He enjoys doing outside work. I don’t like the heat of the summer but spring and fall when it’s below 100 are when I go out.
Hi Mary
On one trip home to Pennsylvania, I stopped at the Ag Store and picked up 80% vinegar / Acetic Acid, to kill the weeds in my driveway. It worked for awhile. Please be careful outside in those hot temps.
San / Gypsy Quilter / Murphy, NC
Mary, I so understand doing all the work. My husband has heart problems and has no energy to do anything. All the chores are now mine. 77 acres of weeds and burnt trees. For the weeds I use a back pack sprayer. Much easier on my arms and hand. Don’t over do it. Thanks for all the pictures.
Mary, Wondering if you know about goatsonthego.com? It looks like there is a team near Des Moines. They come and bring goats to clear weeds and vegetation. I have no idea what they charge, but it might be a good solution. I saw them on IPTV a few years ago working over in NE Iowa where machines cant go. So cute and no spraying!
Hi Mary…It is 6:30pm and 108 degrees. These days are really scorchers. I have a “rain chain” and half barrel waiting on the rain whenever. Our pine needles need raking up everyday off the driveway. The squirrels are throwing down the pine cones after they get the pine nut out. Sometime we seem an intentional target. The heat here has not discouraged any weed growth. The morning glories are blooming profusely along with moss rose and most other plants are wilting. I so admire your areas of various plants. It was good to hear you are going to “Enjoy” your collections and Farm (even with the workload. Forget about the suggestion of “cleaning out”…and so good your book will be available on Amazon! I have stuff that dates back like my mothers brass/porcelain bed, grandmothers tea kettle from 1926, a stove top coffee pot my Grandpa repaired, my family’s last churn, rocks off the farm that my Father and I gathered. Quilts too! Until next time and Hello everyone…H
Helen Jane – oh, you poor people in that unrelenting heat!! How can anything stay alive outdoors? I so hope your rain chain gets a chance soon. I love my farm and all my stuff and I don’t want to part with any of it. I want to enjoy it all until the last possible moment.
Why do we have weeds and creepy things that climb up fences? No one likes them! They are just a nuisance😝. I like the Halloween quilt and love the boys with the puppy and Keeper. Buddy now hunts down my husband to go to his big chair in the basement! My husband takes about an hour nap; Buddy sleeps all afternoon😹. Thanks for your fun blog, Mary.
Reading your blog wears me out! I don’t know how you get so much done! You need to take care of yourself too!
Debra – it wears me out too! Hahaha!!!
I love Keeper’s “stick.” 😂 it is wonderful seeing pictures of Gracie and Greta. These animals are so fortunate to live at your house.
Our temps have been low and lovely this week, however, they are ramping back up as the weekend progresses. I am making a baby quilt and love working in my basement sewing room.
Have a great weekend friends. 🥰
Any time I’m feeling overwhelmed by having to do the bulk of the work here, I just read what others have on their plate. It makes me see how grateful I need to be that my husband can really do most things. My admiration goes out to all of you who have such a work load.
Janet – you are the lucky one if your husband is still able. Everywhere I look it’s old men being helped out of a car driven by a woman and up at Mayo it’s old men being pushed in wheelchairs by old women. I’m going to do the best I can for as long as I can.
Mary, I always feel like that’s because most women are more realistic about what their age and men always think they’re still in their teens. So they don’t take as much care of their bodies as they should.
Oh the weeds. Without rain the grass dries up but the weeds are not affected. Always seems like middle of August is when the weeds and wilted flowering plants are the worst. We live in the country and I know what weeds you are talking about – it is hard to stay ahead of their growth. We are going into another heat advisory this weekend so today is the day to get the outside work done. I am recently retired and did not realize all the outdoor work that needs to be done – guess I didn’t see it or ignored it maybe?
Jean – I ignored this fence line too long / it wouldn’t have been this hard if I hadn’t ignored it. I pretty much always knew about the yard work when the shop was open because I wanted it to look nice. Now my standards have slipped! Haha!